Saturn's Return
by Kumori Sora
Summary: This story takes place after the Death Busters Compilation and after the season with Pegasus. It actually replaces the very last season. I missed that season so I can't go by it. All names are the English names or translations.
1. Mirror Mirror

**Chapter 1 – Mirror Mirror**

"Class, your homework assignment for tonight is a three paragraph paper on what makes you special. Is it your smile? Or maybe your friendliness toward others? Perhaps a talent, such as soccer or piano? Think hard. I expect your paper to be sitting on my desk when I walk in tomorrow morning," Ms. Lai said briefly before excusing the class. Slowly, a girl with chin-length black hair stood and made her way to the front of the class room. She wore a blue tank top and a jean skirt that fell to her knees. Her skin was smooth and clear, as though she had never been bruised or scarred in her entire life. She smiled at a few kids as they walked by and they waved in return. "Hotaru?" the teacher suddenly asked, halting the girl in front of her desk. "Yes?" Hotaru stopped and turned her attention to the teacher. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and grinned. "I just…I was just wondering…is there anyone else in your family named Hotaru?" Ms. Lai asked, nervously twisting a strand of hair around her finger.

Hotaru furrowed her brow and stared at Ms. Lai with wide eyes. "I don't think so…at least not that I know of. Why?" Ms. Lai glanced down at the papers on her desk as though they would explain everything. Then she abruptly shook herself and smiled at Hotaru as if nothing had happened. "Oh, just wondering. Hotaru Tomoe is such a pretty name, you know?" she said a bit too cheerfully. "Is something wrong?" Hotaru questioned as her posture became less comfortable and more concerned. "Of course not!" Ms. Lai said with a laugh, "See, one of the secretaries in the office was organizing files, and she claims to have found a 'Hotaru Tomoe' from eleven years back. I mean seriously, eleven years? It must be a prank of some sort. And…well…you know…if not, then isn't it neat that someone else out there has your name!" Ms. Lai was talking too fast and her cheery voice showed Hotaru that it wasn't "neat". Hotaru and Ms. Lai chatted for just a few minutes more about school and such before Hotaru raced to catch up with her bus.

When she got home, Hotaru headed straight to her room. It was decorated in different colors of purple, with stuffed animals lining the walls and little knick-knacks lining the shelves. Usually Hotaru walked into her room in a peaceful mood and took a nap before getting to her homework. But today she had a sick, queasy sort of feeling in her stomach and she knew that she would only toss and turn if she tried to sleep. Something told her that there was more to this whole "Hotaru Tomoe" thing…she just couldn't figure out what. Trying to take her mind off of this troubling subject, she sat down to do her homework. She couldn't think no matter how hard she tried. After spending nearly half an hour trying to solve one math problem, she shoved the chair away from her desk and decided to log on to the computer.

As she waited for the computer to boot up, she thought more about her name and continued to ask herself why her name would be in the school files twice. When the computer finally loaded, she immediately pulled up a window to the Internet and did a search on "Hotaru Tomoe". There were no results. She sighed irritably and left the computer. She didn't feel like doing anything right now. Not until she found out the truth. And she knew the truth was hidden somewhere.

That night around seven o'clock, Hotaru's father arrived home from work. He was a busy man but made sure that he and Hotaru had at least an hour or two to spend together each night. As he entered the front door, Hotaru rushed to him. She hugged him and they exchanged greetings and such before Hotaru explained to him about her name and the school files and how nervous Ms. Lai had been acting. Professor Tomoe was a kind man and slow to anger, but at hearing this, his eyes narrowed and his jaw set. Hotaru noticed this, as she had noticed Ms. Lai's nervousness. "Daddy, what's wrong?" she asked, her stomach tightening again. "Nothing, sweetheart, I'm just bothered that they would worry you with such a silly thing. It's obviously a prank," he explained with a frustrated laugh. But Hotaru wasn't so sure when she went into the kitchen later on to tell him good night and heard him talking in raised voices with the principal.


	2. Lavender Glitter

**Chapter 2 – Lavender Glitter**

The next day at school, Hotaru was still feeling nervous. The fact that her father had yelled at the principal made her feel even more nervous. She knew that everyone on the staff would be acting strange, considering as her father had yelled at their leader, the person of highest ranking and respect at the school. And her instincts did not fail her. She knew as soon as she walked into her first class that Ms. Lai felt uncomfortable around her. With flushed cheeks and what appeared somewhat like a cringe, Ms. Lai asked Hotaru in a timid voice if she had finished her paper on what made her special. When Hotaru shook her head, Ms. Lai told her in that same timid voice that it was fine as long as she turned it in by Monday.

Sitting down at her desk, Hotaru noticed the other kids were giving her funny looks. Kitana, one of her good friends, leaned in and asked, "What's going on?" Hotaru shrugged. She knew it wasn't convincing but that it would keep Kitana quiet long enough for Hotaru to get through math and race to her next class before anyone else could question her. As it turned out, no one ever did bother her again with questions the rest of the day. Hotaru arrived home with a sigh of relief as she headed up to her room.

It had been an awful day. She was ashamed of her father and, for no reason at all, ashamed of herself. But during the bus ride home, she had concocted a plan. This plan would make her even more ashamed of herself when it was through, but she had to do it…

After she dropped her backpack on her bed and ate a quick snack, Hotaru headed down to the basement of the house. She had been afraid of the damp, dark basement when she was younger, and had found it rather boring when she grew older. It was just storage space for a bunch of boxes and old furniture that hadn't been dusted in years, as well as a neighborhood of spider webs. But today, the basement was anything but boring. Contained in the boxes were memories...pictures, letters, antiques, old holiday decorations, and countless other things. Hotaru hoped to find something useful in one of them. And so she began to dig through each and every one.

The first box contained a bunch of photographs. She looked closely at every photograph. A few of herself when she was younger she didn't remember at all. She assumed that they had been long ago and that she had merely forgotten when and where they had been taken. She also glanced at a few pictures of her dad when he was younger. He was rather old now, old enough to have a grown child. And yet Hotaru was his only child, and he spoiled her rotten. Some of the pictures of her and her dad made her grin from ear to ear.

The second, third, fourth, and seventh boxes were merely fancy vases, rusty silverware, heavy blankets, and other random items that did not interest her in the slightest. The fifth and sixth boxes contained old bottles of liquid that had molded over time and seeped through the bottles so that they made the inside of the box sticky and foul-smelling.

After searching through dozens of other boxes, Hotaru began to feel defeated. There were no hints or clues to be found. She began to wonder if maybe her dad was right, that the whole "Hotaru Tomoe" thing was just a silly prank.

Later that night, after straightening up the boxes so that they looked untouched, Hotaru sat down to dinner with her dad. For the first time, Hotaru was content to listen to her dad talk about his job for seemingly endless minutes. She didn't want to talk about her day at school, and she _really _didn't want to talk about what she did after school. She knew that some of those items contained in the boxes were very special to her dad, and that he would be concerned if he thought she had been going through the boxes and tossing the items aside. She also figured that he would be upset if he knew that she thought he was hiding something. Once or twice Professor Tomoe asked Hotaru a question about school, but she managed to get him off subject before he asked about the principal or if she had interacted much with the other kids. At one point she wondered if she was able to get him off subject too easily…like he was asking about school though he really didn't want to know. But she decided to just be grateful that he was doing all the talking and not her.

At midnight, Hotaru woke from a deep sleep. She had a strange feeling inside…but she couldn't figure out why. She tried to fall back to sleep but she felt wide awake. After sitting in bed for a while, she went downstairs to the kitchen, assuming the strange feeling was from hunger. She had hardly eaten at dinner for obvious reasons. But nothing seemed to taste good when she swallowed it, not even her favorite candy bar. As she sat, confused and still feeling strange inside, Hotaru suddenly had an overwhelming urge to look through the piles of junk in her dad's closet. They had never seemed that interesting before, and yet, quietly, she made her way to her dad's bedroom. Peeking in, she saw that he was not in bed. After checking his study to find him sleeping at his desk, Hotaru began to plow through the junk in his closet as though there was gold hidden somewhere in it. She found a bunch of neat stuff, but one item intrigued her more than the others. Whenever she picked it up, the strange feeling inside of her was replaced with a refreshing feeling as though she had just been swimming in cool water, or napped beneath the warm sun. She tried to put it down, but she found herself picking it up again. She stared at it a moment before closing her eyes…images flashed through her mind…all of the sudden, three words popped into her head. "Saturn Planet Power!" she called out before she could stop herself.

Like magic, Hotaru was instantly engulfed in swirling lights. She wouldn't have known what was happening if she had been able to focus, but she was in almost a dream state. When she finally came to her senses, she felt…different. Not different on the inside, as she had been feeling before, but on the outside. She slowly walked over to her dad's dresser mirror and looked in. Immediately she gasped. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

She wore a white outfit that resembled a sailor's, as it had a purple collar with a large red bow attached to it. Her skirt was the same color of purple as the collar, with another red bow in the back. Her hands were covered with two long, white gloves and her feet were covered with fancy purple boots that laced up in the front. A choker adorned her neck and a tiara adorned her forehead. Earrings shaped like the planet Saturn were pierced through her ears. Wondering how she could not have felt it before, Hotaru noticed that a jeweled scythe was also clasped in her left hand. It was all so amazing and unbelievable. Why did she look this way? How did she become to look this way? What had happened!

Sighing with confusion, Hotaru dropped her gaze to the floor. She was thinking a million thoughts at once and none of them made sense. Actually, she realized, nothing seemed to make sense anymore. But looking back in the mirror, she stopped worrying for a moment and simply stared in awe. Moonlight was shining through the window above her father's bed. And for a moment, she felt as though nothing could hurt or confuse her. She was simply a graceful lavender figure, glittering and shimmering in the moonlight.


	3. Sweet Memories and New Beginnings

**Chapter 3 – Sweet Memories and New Beginnings**

Hotaru continued to stare at her reflection, twirling every so often to see the light catch on her tiara and cast bright shapes across the walls. She posed countless times in front of the mirror, giggling whenever she found herself looking overly dramatic. Turning to her right, she cast a sideways glance at the mirror, smirking like a professional model. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a teary-eyed figure standing just outside the bedroom door. Startled, she gasped and jumped back. Who could this be? Was this another part of her strange "transformation"?

But it was only her father. He flipped on the light switch and walked slowly into the room and stood awkwardly in the middle of the floor. "Dad…" Hotaru whispered softly, "Dad, I…will you please tell me what's going on?" That's when Professor Tomoe wrapped his daughter in an enormous hug and began to cry again. "I never wanted you to know…I just wanted you to have a normal life!" he exclaimed, his voice sounding tired and defeated. "Dad, please. Tell me. I want to know," Hotaru said, her voice sounding meek. She almost wished she had never snooped to begin with…it seemed to be causing her father so much pain. But after he calmed down a tad, her father sat her down and explained everything. He told her about her past life, her suffering, the Sailor Scouts, Mistress 9, and of the leader of the Sailor Scouts, Sailor Moon, who had rescued her from what would have been her death. He told her of how she was reborn to live a normal life, free of the torment of an evil alter ego. He explained how he did everything in his power to make sure she had that normal life: asking web site owners to take articles/pieces about Sailor Saturn and Hotaru Tomoe off of their sites, denying scientists the right to study Hotaru as though she were some kind of fungus, losing contact with the Sailor Scouts, shielding Hotaru from anything related to her past, and telling the principal of her school, a close friend who knew all about Sailor Saturn and Mistress 9, to burn the previous "Hotaru Tomoe" file and never speak of it again.

Now everything made sense: the file, the failing web search, her father yelling at the principal, the pictures of herself that she didn't recognize, her father's old age…everything. Hotaru felt relieved that she now knew everything, and that her father no longer had anything to hide. But she also felt depressed…why couldn't she remember anything about her past life? Well, she knew why, but she still wished that she could remember _something_. Her only memories, which came to her as her father relayed the story, were that of her and a little girl with fluffy pink pigtails and cheerful ruby-colored eyes walking down the street together…and a blond girl with sky blue eyes and a determined expression on her face chasing after her into a world that vanished where Hotaru's memory ended. Her father told her the pink-haired girl was her friend in her past life, Rini. And that the girl who chased after her into the vanishing world was Sailor Moon.

"Do you think they're still out there?" Hotaru asked, looking hopeful. Her father winced. "Yes, I do. But they've most likely retired from a life of crime-fighting. It has been over eleven years, you know," Professor Tomoe said sadly, running his hand through his hair. For some reason that Hotaru could not explain, she felt a pang as she imagined a grown Rini. Her only memory of Rini was her face, and yet she felt like she had lost a friend with Rini's growing older. But almost instantly she recovered. "I'm going to find them, Daddy. I know they're still out there. They just have to be!" she said, biting her lip. "Hotaru-" her father began, but Hotaru cut him off. "Daddy, I know you don't want me living in the past, but I'll always wonder and wish I knew if I don't find out where they live, what they look like, if they still fight crime…I'll regret it if I don't act now, Daddy. You've kept these secrets from me for a long time, but you can only keep secrets for so long…this is part of me, part of my past, and I don't want to let it go," Hotaru explained, clenching her fists with frustration. Her father sat there for a moment, stunned. Finally he said, "Alright, Hotaru, you can…um…_try_ to find them. Just don't get your hopes up. They could be anywhere in the world, or…well…deceased. And, I'm afraid you're not going to be allowed to use your powers. You can't control them yet, and it would just be far too dangerous," he said. His words stung, but Hotaru realized that her father was trying to do what was best for her. He was also making a few exceptions for her. And so she kept quiet, and began planning her first attempts at finding the Sailor Scouts. Every last one. And she figured it would get easier the more she found. They had to still be close friends or at least keep in touch, after all. They had a special bond as Sailor Scouts. _She_ had a special bond with _them_, too.

And so Hotaru made a list (with her father's help) of all the Sailor Scouts and everything she knew about them. After reviewing the list carefully, she decided that her first job would be to find Sailor Moon and Rini. Her father had mentioned that Sailor Moon A.K.A. Serena Tsukino had come over to pick up Rini A.K.A. Sailor Mini Moon many times before. The only thing her father mentioned was that by this time, Serena might be married and have a different last name. But this didn't bother Hotaru. She would find Serena and Rini and all of the other Sailor Scouts. All she needed was some rest – it was four-thirty A.M.


	4. DoDoDonuts

**Chapter 4: Do-Do-Donuts**

The next morning – well, actually just a few hours later – Hotaru woke from yet another deep sleep. It took her a moment before she remembered everything that had happened earlier, and her duty to find the Sailor Scouts. It was a big duty…almost more like a dream rather than reality. But she was determined that they would all reunite and (she didn't mention this part to her dad) fight crime together.

Hotaru pushed the covers off of her and hurried downstairs. She had been dying to know if her first "target", Serena Tsukino, was listed in the phone book. But her dad had insisted that she get some rest. He told her that if she found out before she got a good night's rest (or a good few hours' rest) she would be too excited or too frustrated to sleep. And so, the first thing Hotaru did know that she had awakened was grab the phone book off the counter and drop to the floor, flipping pages like mad. Her anticipation began to grow when she came to the T's. Talon...Thomas…Ti…Tsukino!

The excitement began to grow even more. Closing her eyes as if to calm herself down, Hotaru began slowly reading over the first names of the people listed under Tsukino. So far there was no Serena, but there were still a lot of names left…she continued to read through them. Then she got to the end. Disappointed, Hotaru flopped back on the hard wood floor. This made the back of her head throb a bit, but she didn't care. She was busy deciding how to find her next lead. Settling on having a quick breakfast first, Hotaru sat up and was getting ready to shut the book when something caught her eye…in tiny letters, smack-dab in the middle of the list, was Serena Tsukino.

Hotaru couldn't hold it in. She cheered and jumped up and down and practically skipped into her dad's study to tell him. Her dad had been awake for a while, consumed once again by his studies. When Hotaru told him, a funny look crossed his face, and then disappeared. Hotaru couldn't help grinning; she knew that he had thought she would never find a single one of the Sailor Scouts. And now, here she was, preparing herself to meet the girl (now a woman) who saved her life, Serena Tsukino A.K.A. Sailor Moon.

Finding her name in the phone book again, Hotaru figured out that Serena lived only a few miles away. She wanted to ride her bike there herself, but her father insisted that it was too far. He told her that he should come, too, to make sure that Serena was home and that it was actually her and not some other person that shared her name. But he also agreed to leave once he made sure that all was well. After all, this woman saved his daughter. She deserved his trust.

And so they drove a few miles up the road, finally coming to a small house near the shopping center where everyone that lived around the area usually bought groceries and went to see movies. Pulling into the small gravel driveway, Professor Tomoe hugged his daughter and told her not to go anywhere without calling him first. Hotaru agreed and stepped out of the car. She took a moment to observe the house. It was plain, but it was also pretty. Fine oak trees framed the house, and patches of wild flowers growing near and there added splashes of color to the yard. The house itself was white with a black roof. The only flaws Hotaru saw were that the windows looked as though they needed to be replaced, and the paint on the front door was a bit chipped and old. Other than that, it was a lovely little home.

Hotaru approached the door and noticed a small doorbell off to the side. She pressed it and heard a faint ringing noise from inside. Slowly, the door began to open and Hotaru's insides began to twist and turn. She was scared that maybe they had the wrong house, or the wrong person, even. But immediately when the door was open all the way, she felt this feeling of relief wash over her. A woman with long blond pigtails and kind eyes stood before her. Hotaru didn't need to explain, the woman knew who she was. "Hotaru?" the woman asked, astonished. "Yes, it's me. Are you…Serena?" Hotaru asked politely, even though she was positive that she had found the right person. Her thoughts were confirmed when the woman nodded. "I hope this isn't too unexpected…are you busy? Because I'd really like to talk," Hotaru said hopefully. Serena was silent for a moment before saying, "Sure, come on in!" Her voice sounded unfamiliar…and yet so familiar. Hotaru smiled, then gave her dad the thumbs-up sign and waved as he drove off.

Unlike the outside of the house, the inside of the house was…well…a wreck. There were clothes, dishes, papers, trash, and other piles of who-knows-what scattered around the rooms of the house. Hotaru winced inwardly. Even with only one parent, her house had always been at least fairly clean. She wasn't used to this big of a mess. But one thing that intrigued her that she continued to find in every room was empty "Do-Do-Donuts" boxes. She figured Serena must really like donuts, judging by the fact that they were _everywhere_.

Finally, Serena led Hotaru to a room that was a tad cleaner than the others, with couches and end tables and a great view of the backyard. After taking a seat in on one of the couches, Serena stood up again. "I'll be right back!" she exclaimed with a cheerful smile. Hotaru nearly burst out laughing when Serena returned carrying a box of Do-Do-Donuts. "Want one?" Serena asked, shoving one into her mouth and sputtering a few crumbs on the floor. Hotaru shook her head.

"So tell me, Hotaru…not that I don't want you here…but why _are_ you here?" Serena questioned when she finally swallowed the donut. "Well, see, it's a funny thing…" Hotaru replied before launching into the story. Hotaru talked while Serena wolfed down two whole boxes of donuts. When Hotaru was finished with her story and Serena was stuffed (actually rather sick) they began to talk more about the present time and about finding the Sailor Scouts. "Do you still keep in touch with any of them? What can you tell me about them?" Hotaru said excitedly, sounding somewhat like a reporter. "Well…" Serena said, "…to start off, you should know that Rini isn't here anymore. She returned to the future. You see, she's my daughter, believe it or not. She only came to the past to help us fight a tough enemy. She was a great help…although she could be a bratty little pesky good-for-nothing selfish – um, uh, sorry, uh, anyway..." Serena laughed awkwardly. Somehow Serena's goofiness seemed familiar, too. Hotaru hoped that these memories would keep returning; it made her feel like less of an outcast, like she could actually relate. Without thinking, she asked teasingly, "So, do you know now who you ended up marrying?"

Suddenly there was dead silence. Hotaru could tell that Serena was very uncomfortable now, and she wished that she could stuff the words back into her mouth. She bit her lip and sat quietly along with Serena for a moment before blurting out, "I'm sorry!" Serena shook her head. "It's not your fault. Things just…didn't work out," Serena said softly, brushing a strand of blond hair out of her face. "But what about Rini?" Hotaru exclaimed, again without thinking. "I guess she might disappear or…oh, I don't know. I really don't, Hotaru. All I know is that things didn't work out between Darien and I," Serena stumbled on the last part as her eyes began to get a far-away look to them. At the mention of Darien's name, another memory flashed into Hotaru's mind. It was a blurry image of Darien holding an unconscious Rini in his arms, looking concerned and upset. She knew it was Darien. Somehow she just knew. When the memory faded, Hotaru looked up at Serena, who seemed troubled and ashamed. Suddenly, Serena began telling Hotaru the story…

"Darien and I were so close…I'd always dreamed of marrying him. I'd picture myself in a gorgeous white dress…with flowers tucked into my hair…" Serena closed her eyes, as if imagining it in her mind. Her face took on a carefree expression, and for a second she looked like young Serena again rather than an adult. Sighing, she continued, "He was so protective of me, but I liked it. He made me feel so special, like I was more than just Serena Tsukino, the pig/dunce." Serena laughed half-heartedly. "When I got to college – Darien had already graduated – I had big plans for my career and for our relationship. Before I knew it, I was majoring in a million different subjects, and Darien and I were getting married. It was one of the happiest times in my life," Serena reminisced, tears filling her eyes. "I was just so sure…I…I thought that…oh, never mind. Anyway, a few months before the wedding was supposed to be held, I began failing horribly in all my subjects as well as in my part-time job as a secretary at the college. It was humiliating and degrading to find that all of the answers on your test were incorrect and that people had been complaining that you were a lousy worker. I honestly just didn't have the brains. You can't barely get by all through high school and then expect to become a rocket scientist…not that I wanted to be a rocket scientist, but you get the picture. So, yeah, I began failing, and more and more I began relying on Darien to do things for me: drive me around because I couldn't afford gas, buy me groceries because I could hardly afford a loaf of bread, and constantly reassure me that I didn't need a top-notch education to mean something to him. But the truth is, I did. In failing everything, I was having to rely on him too much, and our relationship turned into him catering to my every whim…" Serena's voice trailed off, as if she could hardly stand to say the last part. Finally, she dropped her head and said in the quietest, most ashamed voice Hotaru had heard from her so far, "…Six weeks before the wedding, Darien told me that he'd had enough. We got into a huge argument and…the wedding was cancelled. I never saw him again after that. I hear he's really made something of himself. And here I am working for Do-Do-Donuts, just as he'd predicted. But, in a way, I'm kind of glad our relationship ended. He deserved so much better…" Serena bit her lip as tears streamed down her face. Hotaru wanted to comfort her, but there was nothing to say.


	5. Sparking the Flame

**Chapter 5 – Sparking the Flame**

Hotaru just sat there, feeling terrible. It must have been awful for Serena to lose someone she cared so much about. And even though Serena claimed that she had been too needy and that Darien deserved better, Hotaru felt that both were to blame for the split-up. Minutes passed and nothing was said. Hotaru stared awkwardly down at the stained, tattered carpet while Serena gazed off into space, wiping a tear every now and then. Finally Hotaru spoke up. "I'm really sorry. Is there any way…" she let her voice trail off. Serena blinked, clearly surprised. "Oh, no! Hotaru, there's no way that Darien and I could ever get together again. We have such different lives now…besides, by now, he probably has some rich, successful girlfriend that he's gaga over!" Serena said the last part bitterly, and yet Hotaru could tell that her depression was beginning to fade and that she was starting to feel better. Hotaru jumped at the opportunity to change the subject. "I doubt that. Really I do. But if you insist that it's really not possible, then what about the other Sailor Scouts?" Hotaru asked, leaning forward, feeling like a reporter again. Then a light bulb went off in her head and she reached for her back pack. Digging through clumps of papers, she finally found the list that she and her dad had made. She handed it to Serena, who immediately snatched a pen from the end table beside her and began scribbling.

"Trista Meiou…how did your dad know _she_ was a Sailor Scout? I thought she kept her secret pretty well hidden! Anyway, I'm afraid that she died before you were reborn, rescuing Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus from a crashing helicopter. She was so helpful and kind…oh, too much sad stuff for one day! Moving on…" Serena's voice changed tones as she talked, and she talked more to herself than to Hotaru. She crossed out Trista's name. "Let's see…gosh, your dad is very observant! He managed to remember every single one of us, plus mine and Rini's real names!" Serena exclaimed, scanning the list. "Sailor Venus...her real name is Mina Aino. Have you ever heard of 'Starlight'?" Serena asked, raising an eyebrow. Hotaru grinned and nodded. "Starlight" was a popular television show themed around romance, cherry blossoms, and sushi that took place in a beautiful village in the mountainside. The girl who played the lead was gorgeous. "Yeah, well, you know 'Kori Sparrow', the main character? That's Mina. She always said she would be a star one day…" Serena said with a laugh. Hotaru's eyes widened. "Mina is _Kori Sparrow_?" She gaped. Serena laughed harder. "Wow…that's amazing!" Hotaru said once the shock wore off.

Serena continued to laugh for a moment before returning to the list. "Mercury's real name is Amy Anderson. I haven't heard from her in ages. Jupiter's real name is Lita Kino, I haven't heard from her in a while, either. Mars' real name was Raye Hino…but she's married now. I forget what her last name is. She invited me to the wedding, but I was too busy planning mine and Darien's wedding to go. I think she and her husband, Chad, still live at the Cherry Hill Temple not far away-" before Serena could say anything more, Hotaru stood up. "Then let's go! What are we waiting for?" she practically yelled. Serena was obviously uncomfortable with this idea, considering as she hadn't seen Raye in a long time and the visit would be much unexpected, but seeing the look on Hotaru's face and the joy in her eyes made it impossible to say no. "Alright," Serena sighed reluctantly.

After calling her dad to tell him her plans, Hotaru hopped in the front seat of Serena's small car. Serena climbed into the driver's seat and backed out of the driveway. By the time the car hit the road, Hotaru could tell that this would be a bumpy ride. Serena apologized for her poor driving skills as she nearly crashed into a mail box. The ride was smooth while they rode down the wide, straight road, but the minute they turned onto a narrower, more winding road, it was BANG! THUMP! HONK! And a loud screech that left Hotaru's ears ringing. She hoped that no one would report them for such reckless driving. And she couldn't help wishing she'd chosen to ride in the back seat.

After a last minute trip to "DoDoDonuts" (Serena claimed that she was hungry and that she would pretty much be re-earning that money through her job, anyway.) and ten miles in the wrong direction (which meant a rough turn-a-round that left Hotaru's insides feeling mushy) they finally arrived at the Cherry Hill Temple. Hotaru bolted from the car as politely as she could without looking desperate to get away, and then began making her way up the small, grassy hill upon which the temple sat. It was truly a lovely area. It reminded Hotaru of one of the temples in "Starlight", because it was surrounded by dreamy pink cherry blossom trees, and because, despite the fact that it was open to everyone who wished to enter, it appeared sacred and intimidating to outsiders. Approaching the open sliding wood door, Hotaru swallowed hard and took a step inside. Serena trailed close behind. Before she had time to lose her nerve, Hotaru called out, "Hello? Is anybody there?"

She waited for a response. She could hear Serena nervously shuffling around behind her. Suddenly, a man with rather tan skin and long, scraggly brown hair appeared from behind another sliding door. Almost right away, he called out, "Serena!" Hotaru could tell by Serena's voice that she had relaxed a bit. "Yep, it's me!" she replied in a giddy tone. The man turned and called to someone behind the door, "Raye! It's Serena Tsukino! Your old friend!" In a flash, a woman with dark hair and indigo-colored eyes was standing next to the man, her facial expression one of astonishment. "S-Serena? Hotaru!" the hurried over to where they were standing. She wore a priestess outfit, which included traditional sandals with slightly-raised heels. She seemed excited to see her old friends, and then a look came across her face as though she didn't know what to do or say. So Serena made the first move. She gave Raye a huge hug, and Hotaru noticed tears in her eyes. Tears came into her own eyes as she thought about what it would be like to go for so long without seeing anyone you cared about, just living in solitude and loneliness…and eating donuts all day. Tears came into Raye's eyes as well. "I missed you, Serena. Why did we lose touch?" she asked, sounding as though she was not only asking Serena but herself. "I don't know. I guess…I guess because I was busy planning my wedding with Darien, which didn't even turn out…" Serena said, and Hotaru could hear the sadness return to her voice for a second before it was replaced once more with happiness. "Didn't turn out?" Raye asked, pulling away. Serena shook her head and gave her a half-smile. Now it was Raye's turn to look sad. She furrowed her brow. "Then what about Rini? You guys can't split up! You get back together right this instant! For everyone's sake! Is his last name still Shields? I'm looking him up and calling him and telling him that I just can't-" Raye continued to ramble as she stomped into another room, where Hotaru guessed the phone was located. She expected Serena to look upset, but Serena just smiled. "I'm used to Raye's stubbornness. It fits her role as the warrior with the power over fire. A fiery personality," Serena chuckled. "Aren't you going to stop her before she calls Darien?" Hotaru asked incredulously. "Nah, then it would be just like old times, when we used to be at each other's throats all the time. I'd like to think that we've matured since then," Serena said cheerfully. Hotaru stared at her. Serena continued to smile. And then a funny look, somewhat like realization, crossed her face. "Raye, you better not call him! I'm serious! You'll be sorry!" Serena screamed.


End file.
